


The Kiss

by InfiniteCrisis



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Discussions of Cannibalism and Love and Mutual Understanding, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hannibal Loves Will, Hannibal is a Cannibal, I don't know what to call this honestly, M/M, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Short One Shot, Will Is Not a Stuttering Mess, Will Loves Hannibal, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:18:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11858934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteCrisis/pseuds/InfiniteCrisis
Summary: A snapshot of Hannibal and Will after the fall, that ends with their first kiss.





	The Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally rated G, but then it occurred to me that even not graphic discussions of murder and cannibalism may not be considered "general audiences" to a lot of people. 
> 
> So, this is rated Teen, for mentions of murder and cannibalism.

“You once claimed to have changed me.”  Hannibal looked at Will as he spoke, his dark eyes reflecting the shadows in the dimly lit room.  “At first, I denied the truth of those words.  Then, I resisted it and, when that failed, I resented it.  Finally, I had no choice but to accept it,” His head tilted slightly to one side, a reflective look coloring his face.  “When I realized I couldn’t kill you.” 

“‘Couldn’t’?” Will repeated, arching an eyebrow. 

“Had no wish to,” Hannibal amended.  There was a pause.  A breath.  “When I first became aware of the depth of your influence on me, that had seemed the obvious solution.  To kill you.”

“And eat me,” Will interjected. 

“And eat you.  Yes.” Hannibal agreed easily.  “But I have come to understand that, ultimately, that would have proven to be no solution at all.  I could kill you, but your death would bring me no pleasure, no satisfaction.  No peace.”  A moment passed, and the air seemed to grow darker around him. 

“I could cut you into pieces.  Devour every part of you until there was nothing left.  And when I had finished, and you had been utterly destroyed, I would still...crave you.”

There was a beat, weighted, like a metronome. 

“Better, I thought,” Hannibal continued, a strange reflective echo to his voice.  “To take what small tastes of you I could, even if it only meant drinking in the sight of you from time to time, than to condemn myself to knowing I would spend the rest of my life...hungry.”

The corners of Will’s mouth curved up, wry and insightful.   

“Bedelia called that being in love,” Will commented, with a tilt of his head. 

There was another pause before Hannibal responded.

“And how did you and the good Dr. de Maurier stumble upon that topic of conversation, I wonder.”  His tone was casual, but there was a faint hard, brittle glint to his eyes.  Will’s smile widened. 

“It’s okay,” Will said softly, maybe mostly to himself.  “I get it, I…” his brow furrowed.  “ _Understand_.  That… _ache_.” 

He let his tongue click against sharpness of the word.  Then, he let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly.  There was a sadness to his smile now, the muted color of heartache, old and familiar. 

“See, the problem is,” Will explained, at once patient and self-deprecating.  “That it’s not _just_ hunger.  There’s another urge there inside, deeper, more… _insidious_.”  He crossed the room, walking to Hannibal with even steps till there was less than an hand’s width between them.

“It’s the desire to consume,” Will went on, his eyes flickering over the curve of Hannibal’s mouth.  “And, at the same time…to _be_ consumed.” 

Will leaned forward, eyelids lowering slightly.  He could feel Hannibal breathing, an unnatural stillness radiating from him as watched Will from under hooded eyes.  Waiting.  Will hesitated, the last moment before they touched stretching like a shadow under a changing light.  Then, with a last puff of a sigh and something not quite like a shrug, Will grabbed hold of Hannibal’s shirt with clawing fingers, and pulled till their mouths joined and locked together. 

It felt like fire, and drowning, and like all those other things that people say when they’re trying to describe the moments when being in love, feels exactly the same as dying.                  

   

**Author's Note:**

> So, I actually wrote this while working on "Dormire et Excitare", but in the end it didn't seem to fit that story all that well and I decided there were better ways for that one to go so I cut it out. Still, I rather liked it, so I hung on to it thinking I might use it for something else. Well, since it's #It'sStillBeautiful this week, I thought I'd post this and share it--I think this is in the right spirit, yes? This is my first #It'sStillBeautiful, so apologies if I'm wrong on that count. 
> 
> Hopefully this falls into the "short and sweet" category, but it's basically a deleted/rejected scene and that's why there's not really a beginning...or an ending...or a setting, lol. Still, I'm hoping there's some Fannibals out there who will get a kick out of it. And, if you're in the mood for something pornier and kinkier, check out my Infinities Series! Comments and kudos are always welcome and encouraged of course, and as always, thank you for reading :-D


End file.
